Tone Report Weekly 164 | Page 37

instruments were not available . The Jazzmaster still managed to earn its keep sales-wise , however , thanks to the instrumental surf rock bands that flourished in Fender ’ s Southern California home , who quickly acquired a deep affinity for its distinctive look , tone , and feature set . As the ‘ 70s came and went , though , the Jazzmaster ’ s star shone somewhat less brightly , and by 1980 Fender had stopped producing the model . Luckily , it was in this era that proto-hipster rockers like Elvis Costello and Television ’ s Tom Verlaine began to be closely associated with the Jazzmaster , due in part to its relatively low cost on the second-hand market , especially as compared to the much more popular Stratocaster . Iconic Jazzmasterwielding bands like Sonic Youth , My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr . soon followed in the late ‘ 80s , and before you know it , the Jazzmaster was among the most recognizable and iconic instruments in Fender ’ s stable .
What is it that makes the Fender Jazzmaster so different from other guitars ? Why did it fail so miserably with jazz players , but succeed so spectacularly with surf rockers , shoegazers , and noise-loving experimentalists ? The reasons are many and varied , but taken together they all lead to one obvious conclusion : the Fender Jazzmaster really is quite different from other guitars . Besides its unique appearance , it also has a number of functional and sonic idiosyncrasies that set it apart . The pickups sound like no other pickups ever created , the electronics are versatile and complex ( at least as compared to its predecessors ), and the vibrato system is practically an instrument unto itself . There ’ s a lot going on under the hood of the Jazzmaster , and those without experience with this iconic offset are often bewildered or put off by its unfamiliar features . So if I may , allow me to break the Fender Jazzmaster down into its more easily digestible parts . This is what makes the Jazzmaster different .
instruments were not available . The Jazzmaster still managed to earn its keep sales-wise , however , thanks to the instrumental surf rock bands that flourished in Fender ’ s Southern California home , who quickly acquired a deep affinity for its distinctive look , tone , and feature set . As the ‘ 70s came and went , though , the Jazzmaster ’ s star shone somewhat less brightly , and by 1980 Fender had stopped producing the model . Luckily , it was in this era that proto-hipster rockers like Elvis Costello and Television ’ s Tom Verlaine began to be closely associated with the Jazzmaster , due in part to its relatively low cost on the second-hand market , especially as compared to the much more popular Stratocaster . Iconic Jazzmasterwielding bands like Sonic Youth , My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr . soon followed in the late ‘ 80s , and before you know it , the Jazzmaster was among the most recognizable and iconic instruments in Fender ’ s stable .
What is it that makes the Fender Jazzmaster so different from other guitars ? Why did it fail so miserably with jazz players , but succeed so spectacularly with surf rockers , shoegazers , and noise-loving experimentalists ? The reasons are many and varied , but taken together they all lead to one obvious conclusion : the Fender Jazzmaster really is quite different from other guitars . Besides its unique appearance , it also has a number of functional and sonic idiosyncrasies that set it apart . The pickups sound like no other pickups ever created , the electronics are versatile and complex ( at least as compared to its predecessors ), and the vibrato system is practically an instrument unto itself . There ’ s a lot going on under the hood of the Jazzmaster , and those without experience with this iconic offset are often bewildered or put off by its unfamiliar features . So if I may , allow me to break the Fender Jazzmaster down into its more easily digestible parts . This is what makes the Jazzmaster different .
ToneReport . com 37